


In the Colors of a Photograph

by victoriandancer



Category: Soul Eater
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-06
Updated: 2017-01-06
Packaged: 2018-09-15 06:50:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9223838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/victoriandancer/pseuds/victoriandancer
Summary: Soul has a boat he wants to rent, and Maka needs transportation out to sea for her doctorate research. As she searches for the answers in coral reefs, Soul starts searching for that companionship he's never really embraced. As he realizes just what he needs in life, Maka's research sparks the interest of not-so-nice energy companies. They'll need to find answers if they want to save the coral reef so precious to Maka's research, and maybe her heart.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is my first Resbang posting ever!! I had such fun writing this fic and working with the artist elevensouls! I hope you enjoy it and will post the links to the art as soon as I have them!

Glasses clinking and baristas shouting were the backdrop to Soul’s daydreaming.  His double espresso rested between his hands, warming them out of the winter numbness that seemed to be constantly present.  The headphones surrounding his head pressed against his ears, muffling the coffee shop’s normal chaos to an acceptable din that helped him focus in the moment.  He didn’t want to get his hopes up and start planning for this strange expedition he was told about.

A few days ago, a post-doctoral fellow from the local university called him to request the use of his boat. Well, she more  _ demanded _ to meet with him to discuss the terms of renting his boat. He didn’t exactly get a chance to tell her no. He didn’t want to tell her no, but the option would have been nice. He needed the money anyways since his photography business (more like side hobby that may or may not make money) wasn’t busy. But did he want a complete stranger on his boat?

“Hello?” The voice snapped Soul out of his thoughts and his hand nearly knocked over his drink.  _ Cool. Very cool. _ He caught it quickly and yanked his headphones off. The petite blonde in front of him nearly commanded the whole room with her presence, even if she was the smallest one here. 

“Oh, hi, sorry,” Soul said, taking her outstretched hand to shake. “I’m Soul.” No need to give the last name quite yet.

“I’m Maka, sorry for startling you!” she smiled and sat down across from him. The drink she set down nearly overwhelmed him with the smell of peppermint. “I saw your ad in the campus newsletter and I would like to rent your boat!”  

Soul took a sip of his espresso, now an appropriate temperature, and decided this just might be worth it. “What do you need it for?”

“I’m a postdoc at Death City University, but I’m doing my research by the coast so I can look at heat movement in coral reefs,” Maka stated and pulled out her notebook from her bag. Inside there were diagrams and math equations and other shit Soul had no idea how to read. “Coral reefs” is what caught his attention. Maybe he could finally put that underwater camera to use!

“Unfortunately all the students around here are using their parents’ or friends’ boats and I just don’t have those same connections,” Maka continued, “I’ll pay for gas and your time with my research grant.”

“My time?” Soul asked, now confused. Wasn’t she just going to take it for a few weeks and return it in semi-good condition?

“Oh, I don’t know how to drive a boat. My diving expert does, but I don’t trust him driving a hot wheels car.” Maka’s large round eyes were driving into his, and he already knew he was in over his head.

“I have a 35 foot boat. How many people were you planning on bringing?” Soul asked, wondering who this “diving expert” was.

“Oh there’s just three of us that will be actually taking the samples: myself; Tsubaki, another postdoc in the lab; and Black Star, the diving instructor.” Maka started pulling out paper. “I can give you their numbers if you want to call and talk to them first…”

“Not necessary.” Soul downed his drink. “I’ll charge for gas and any hotel fees that might come up but not my time. I’m a photographer so I can take plenty of shots to make up for that.”

“Really?” Maka’s eyes practically  _ glowed _ . “Thank you! I was hoping to set out next week once I have all of my equipment organized and ready to go.”

“Just let me know when. The boat is at a marina and I just have to let them know when to drop it in the water for us.” Soul stood up, needing to get some air. “Just text me when you know a date.”

“Sure thing!” Maka stood and shook his hand, and he wondered just what he had gotten himself into. 

 

********************************************

 

Five days later and Soul was checking the equipment in his boat, putting food away and making sure the beds all had sheets and at least a blanket. He had a feeling they would be spending a few days out here. The 35-foot boat had belonged to his parents before they upgraded to a bigger yacht and this one became his. Thank gosh Wes lived inland and didn’t have any use for a boat.

Just as he finished counting life jackets (not that he planned on sinking his boat), he heard Maka’s voice from the dock. He stood up straight and waved so she would see which boat was his. The marina staff had also washed it, making the wide band of black paint gleaming above the deep red that disappeared below the water. He could see her eyes widen at the sight of the boat. 

“Need any help loading up?” Soul called out, going to the edge of the boat so he could help them get the equipment on the boat without anything falling in the water.

“Nah this is all of it,” Maka passed along crates of wires, tubes, and other science equipment he didn’t know how to use. “Oh! This is Tsubaki Nakatsukasa, another postdoc in the lab studying reef life. And coming along now is…”

Soul caught sight of the blue hair before the creature launched into his boat, landing on the captain’s seat.

“Time to take off!” the short, muscular,  _ shirtless _ man shouted.

“Black Star! You are  _ not _ driving the boat we are  _ renting _ !” Maka shouted, bashing him on the head with a very thick textbook. When did she get in the boat?

“Don’t be such a killjoy!” The blue-haired ball of energy hopped down from the seat. “I’m the one that’s keeping you alive on this trip!”

“I know how to dive! You’re just here so my university doesn’t have a heart attack over insurance.” Maka cleared her throat, gesturing to Soul. “This is Soul, the  _ owner _ of this boat, so be nice to him. Soul, this is Black Star, our diving ‘expert’”

Soul shook his hand, his mind still reeling from the shock that was Black Star. “Nice to meet you.”

“Of course it’s nice to meet me!” Black Star beamed and went to put his gear into secure compartments. 

“Alright, life jackets are under every seat and the exits are everywhere. Once we’re out over deeper water it may get choppy, but as long as you’re not leaning over any edges you shouldn’t fall in.” Soul did his required (short) speech about safety before untying the ropes from the dock. He pushed the boat off at the same time as jumping into the boat and went to the captain’s seat. “Hope you brought sunscreen,” he teased Maka, watching her don her  _ large _ sunhat.

“I grew up in a desert! Don’t lecture me on sunscreen,” she pouted out at the water, but her mood didn’t last long. Soul could see her quickly relax with the rhythm of the boat bouncing over the chop.

“Where are we headed, anyway?” Soul called back, and Tsubaki came up with a map. 

“The coordinates are here. It’s the first reef we’re stopping at for a bit. We planned on spending a few days here then moving to one that’s a little deeper.” Tsubaki’s soft voice barely carried over the wind, but Soul got the gist of it.

“Alright, I know where that one is.” Soul turned the boat slightly and checked his compass. He and Wes used to fish out there when their parents didn’t want them in the house for whatever reason. 

“Who brought the snacks?” Black Star started digging through Maka’s bag, which earned him another  _ whack _ on the head with her book.

“This food has to last us 5 days! Don’t go eating it all now or you’re swimming back to shore to get more!” Maka scolded him, but didn’t stop him from grabbing a bag of chips.

“It’ll take about an hour to get there. What kind of research are you doing out here?” Soul looked over at Maka, watching her gaze wander from her textbook.

“I’m look at heat migration within a coral reef. There’s so much life in the reefs that all need different environments, and yet they all can thrive in one geographical location. I want to see how that can be possible.” Maka smiled to herself, not looking up from the textbook. “My mama studied coral reefs also. I really want to get this data published. It’ll help raise awareness about bleaching and the dying habitats.”

Soul brought his gaze back to the water. Maka mentioning her mother brought about a tug in his stomach that he didn’t want to pursue. “Where does your mom work?” he asked, against his own judgement about pursuing the topic.

“Mama went to Australia to study the Great Barrier Reef. She had this huge grant but it didn’t support moving the whole family there.” Maka’s voice became thick and Soul immediately regretted asking. Before he could un-fuck up his mistake, Tsubaki saved the day.

“Black Star! Don’t hang over the edge of the boat!” she cried out, pulling on the back of his shirt to prevent him from falling in the water.

“But there’s a shark down there!” he practically screamed, reaching into the water. “I want to feel it’s teeth!” he spouted out as Tsubaki reeled him back in.

“Idiot,” Soul and Maka said at the same time, causing her to giggle and Soul to blush up to his ears. Tsubaki managed to get Black Star back into the boat and lecturing him on the dangers of swimming with sharks without the proper protection or training.

“Does he ever learn or is he stuck with that impulsiveness?” Soul asked, relaxing in his seat a little.

“Nah, he’s pretty much stuck with it. But it makes him a great partner. He often finds new areas for me to study because he’s willing to swallow a little danger.” Maka shrugged and focused again on her book. “It’s worth dealing with, anyway.”

Soul wasn’t so sure. Maybe he should have looked into insurance for this little expedition.


	2. Chapter 2

Soul cut the engine to the boat once they reached the reef. “Here we are. We’re not right over it so I can drop the anchor,” he announced, and Maka’s face lit up. 

“Oh good!” She took her hat off and started to pull her shirt over her head, revealing her bright red bikini underneath. 

Soul averted his eyes before his face could betray him again. Why did it have to be red? The color contrasted so well against the water that he could barely keep his gaze from returning to the fabric. Damn. “Don’t you have a diving wetsuit?”

“Nah, those are expensive. Regular bathing suits have always worked!” Maka rummaged around in her bag to pull out her snorkeling gear and camera. “I’m going to take part of today and just look around to see where I want to sample. And maybe my temperature gauge too. I can get some temperature readings to get an idea of where I want to put my sensors.”

Soul kept his eyes away from her surprisingly tanned skin and dug out his snorkeling gear as well. “Suit yourself. I’ve seen some nasty scratches from brushing up against the coral.”

“I’ll be careful. I’ve done this before!” Maka beamed at him, and Soul could barely tear his gaze away. 

Tsubaki had since gotten Black Star to cooperate and tugged on an oxygen pack over her wetsuit. “We’re going to explore a bit to see if we can find any bleaching. And he wants to find a cave. Keep an eye out for a flare, alright?” Tsubaki’s pleading look led Soul to nod and Maka to hug her. 

“Don’t let him drown you, alright?” the blonde teased. 

“Oh, I won’t,” Tsubaki assured her and went to the back of the boat with Black Star.

Soul had used the encounter to strip to his swimming shorts. He was assembling his shiny new underwater camera, a Christmas present to himself in July, when Maka tapped him on the shoulder.

“Nice camera. What kind of shots are you looking for?” She fiddled with her own disposable underwater camera behind her back.

“Thanks. I’m hoping to get a mix of color and black and white. Haven’t quite decided what I want to do with them yet.” Soul stood, and he realized how much taller than her he was. Wait, why was she so close that he had to look down to her?

“Oh, neat! You’ll have to show them to me when you develop them!” Maka grinned and pulled out her flippers. “I’m hoping to hit a few different reefs on this first trip, so you’ll have plenty of muse!”

Soul wasn’t quite sure how to respond to that. She wanted to see his shots? That was all fine and well, but what if no art galleries wanted his shots? 

“Would you even know what you’d be looking at?” Soul asked, snickering at Maka trying to pull on the awkward flippers.

“No, but I’m sure they would be beautiful no matter what!” she grunted, succeeding in her task but too far away from the edge of the boat. Soul followed her, flippers in hand, and helped her balance to sit on the back bench.

Pulling masks on, and Soul easily pulling his flippers into place, they dumped themselves into the water. Soul grabbed his camera from the back and secured the wrist-strap on. The last thing he needed was to lose the damn thing. They kicked their way across the surface of the water for a bit before finally seeing the bright colors of the coral.

Maka pointed down lower and she kicked away from the surface, getting closer to the reef. Soul couldn’t help but admire the way her leg and back muscles worked to effortlessly approach the beautiful reef. He stayed up towards the top for a bit, snapping some landscape-type photos before kicking his way down as well.

Beautiful small fish darted out of their way, and he was sure he saw an eel’s head quickly back into a hole in the sand. Maka was a little farther ahead, her disposable camera clicking away in one hand and the temperature gauge in the other. 

Before Soul could stop himself, he snapped a picture of her from behind. She was at about a 45-degree angle with her flippers kicking gently. She had her hand outstretched towards a small red shrimp sitting on a blue piece of coral. He couldn’t see her eyes, but he could imagine them wide with fascination at the beauty of the scene.

But his lungs were now screaming so he kicked toward the surface to get some necessary gulps of oxygen. Maka wasn’t too far behind him and he managed to dodge the splash of her flippers as she floated on her back and pulled her mask up to her forehead. 

“This place is awesome!” she exclaimed, her chest heaving as she caught her breath. “I never imagined there could be so many colors!”

“You’ve never seen a coral reef before?” Soul asked, thinking she had visited some with her mother.

“No, I only ever saw pictures. That was… indescribable!” She rested her head back in the water and looked up at the sky. “I don’t think I’d ever want to leave!”

“Well, eventually we’ll run out of food, but we could stay around five days,” Soul shrugged, adjusting the wrist strap on his camera.

“It would be five wonderful days! I’m going back down!” And with that, she had pulled her mask back into place and dove under the surface.

Soul was left speechless. This petite scientist was trying to make a name for herself in the marine biology world, and Soul had no doubts in his mind that she would do it. It was a strange feeling, this confidence. Maybe leeching some of that confidence from her would let him get accepted into an art gallery.

“Hey!” It was a very uncool  _ yelp _ , but wouldn’t anyone screech when  _ something _ tugged on their foot in the middle of the ocean?

Maka came up, spluttering from laughter, and Soul was convinced she was partially drowning.

“Not cool!” Soul said, but only received a splash from her in response. Wiping his face and grimacing at the salt taste, he glared at her. “Want me to leave you stranded?”

“You wouldn’t do that!” Maka teased, and he knew she was right. One, because it was dangerous, and two, because he realized he wouldn’t do it to her, especially.

She swam over to him and perched herself so she could see his camera. “Did you get any good shots?”

“I think so,” he brought up the viewscreen on the back and started clicking through pictures. He at least had enough thought process to stop before the picture of her came up. He was already embarrassed by it and didn’t need Maka to know that. He would just delete it later.

Maka pointed to one of a small orange clownfish and giggled. She  _ giggled _ . “I think I saw that one! It came over and nibbled on my finger.” 

“As long as you don’t touch it’s home, I think you’re good to let it nibble,” Soul smirked at her and slid his mask back on. “I’m going to get more shots. Want more time in the water or do you want in the boat?”

Maka slid her mask in place. “You kidding? I’m staying in here as long as possible. Though I may go get my sampling equipment at some point. I might let it collect data overnight.”

“Wouldn’t that mess with your… project… thing?” He didn’t know much about marine biology, but he remembered things like  _ independent variable _ and  _ controls _ and other Biology 101 shit. Not his best class, but he also didn’t sleep through all of it. 

“Not if I keep it to night sampling for the entire project. Or I make night sampling and data sampling two different parts of the same project.” Maka then stuck her face in the water and stuck the temperature gauge in front of her, following invisible trails only she and that piece of equipment could see. Soul was content to snap pictures of her in the meantime, vowing to transfer memory cards as soon as he was back on the boat.

They spent the next hour or so taking pictures, splashing each other, and he was pretty sure Maka tried to drown him at one point. Even after all that, they made it safely back to the boat. Tsubaki and Black Star had beaten them there, and he had already dug into the food.

“Dude, did you leave any for us?” Soul asked, plopping down on the seat next to him and grabbing one of the sandwiches from the cooler.

“Of course I did! I have to look out for my minions!” Black Star shouted so loud Soul was sure his eardrum was busted.

“I never said anything about minions,” Soul said, but Maka shook her head.

“Don’t bother. Nothing we say makes him stop. I just ignore it,” she informed him, keeping her focus on her egg salad sandwich. 

“No matter how long he’s known you, if you’re introduced, you become a minion.” Tsubaki let out a small giggle. “It’s almost like he’s letting you know he’s accepted you into the friend group.”

Friend? When was the last time Soul actually had a friend? The other music majors in college didn’t count since they barely tolerated his presence. Being a music prodigy guaranteed acceptance into any program, but not necessarily any more than that. The professors either loved him or hated his guts, and that went for the students too. If he wasn’t being asked for free tutoring (who gave free tutoring?), he was being glared at by the otherwise-talented students the professors seemed to ignore in his presence. 

“Soul?” Maka’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts. And he realized half of his sandwich was now in his lap.

“Uhh, sorry,” he murmured, feeling his face go hot and really wishing he was invisible.

“Here, have half of my sandwich, I’m full anyway,” Maka smiled and handed over said sandwich.

“Are you sure?” Soul had tossed the meat and bread from his dead sandwich overboard. 

“Yeah. I might munch on some chips, but I never eat much when I’m out on the water.”

“You never eat much, period,” Black Star chastised. “How are you supposed to gain muscle from all that swimming if you don’t eat protein?”

“I get plenty of protein!” Maka retorted.  

Soul chuckled at their banter, earning him a glare from Maka. Yup. He was glad he took this adventure.


	3. Chapter 3

Soul’s sleep was interrupted by the  _ sudden burning brightness _ that invaded the cabin.  After last night’s debacle to figure out the sleeping arrangements, he  _ really _ wanted to sleep in.

Maka wanted a bed. Soul claimed that it was his boat, his bed, his decision. There were only 2 air mattresses available. Pillows were thrown, Tsubaki offered to share with Black Star (Soul was still confused about that idea), and he ended up on the air mattress. Maka had the wonderful, memory foam-topped bed all to herself. It’s a small wonder that Soul imagined them sharing the spacious queen-sized  _ comfortable  _ bed.

But now, at 6 o’clock in the morning, Maka was humming something horribly off-tune and waking everyone up to “get started with the beautiful day.”

This day was not beautiful. The darkness provided by blackout curtains was beautiful.

“Soul! I need to start sampling today! We all passed out before I could set up last night.” She poked his shoulder, earning a grunt for her effort. Soul kept his face buried in the pillow, enough that he wondered if he would run out of air. It was still better than facing the sunlight.

“I’ll make breakfast!” Tsubaki’s cheerful voice came from the other side of the room. How did she get up without waking up the ball of energy that wouldn’t stop talking last night?

“Where’s Black Star?” Maka asked, then proceeded to remove the comforter from over Soul’s body, leaving him shivering in the suddenly cold air.

“He got up for an early morning swim. I told him if he wasn’t quiet, I would toss the rest of his doritos overboard.” Soul looked up long enough to see Tsubaki give the most innocent smile, but fully confident she could carry out the threat. Black Star must have agreed since he was silent this morning.

Soul finally pulled himself up and ran his fingers through his hair. “Am I the only one who values sleep around here?”

“Sleep has no place in a post-doc’s life. It’s just not done.” Maka brushed him off and pulled on a t shirt over her camisole. 

“As long as I’m not in charge of making food,” he muttered, hauling his body out of bed and into the bathroom. He drove the boat, so he got first dibs to pee. Maka probably peed already anyway.

Pushing that image out of his head, he proceeded to brush his teeth and  _ not think about Maka in the shower _ and keep his body under control. Mostly. It wasn’t his fault. They stuck in close quarters here!

“Eggs ok with you?” Maka called through the door, causing Soul to dribble toothpaste all over his chin. 

“Sure,” he said once he effectively rinsed out his mouth. Now there was toothpaste on his white shirt. Great.

Tsubaki and Maka were sitting on the benches on either side of a small flat top grill plugged into his boat. “Don’t use all the power. We need to be able to start the boat eventually,” he warned, plopping down next to Maka.

“It’s fine!” Maka dished out eggs, toast, and bacon to his plate. “I’d be worried if we did this every meal for a week. I wanted a good breakfast to start because it’s going to be a long day!”

A long day staring at Maka’s tanned, toned, perfect skin. Soul wasn’t sure what was happening to him, but he couldn’t tell if he should jump ship now or go down with the wreck. “I’m gonna go get changed,” he said once he had finished his breakfast and set aside his plate. 

“Ok, I’ll change after you!” Maka called after him, but he was already below.

_ Get ahold of yourself! _ He slapped his own face and turned on the cold water in the faucet. He stuck his head under it and let the cold work its magic. He had to make a decision right here and now about how he was going to handle the rest of this trip. 

He could just hear Wes’s voice echoing through his head. “First friend in a while? Gonna get attached! Don’t scare her off!”

It was sound advice in this case. He didn’t want to scare her off. Maka was actually enjoying his company, and he enjoyed hers. He didn’t want the time to end. But he knew that holding on too tightly might just push her out of his reach. 

“Friends. Only friends,” he repeated to himself. “I can live with that.”

A knock on the bathroom door startled him out of thoughts. “Soul? Almost done?” Maka’s voice  _ really _ snapped his thoughts.

“Yeah, come on in,” he said, quickly taking inventory. Swim shorts on? Check. Shirt on? No check. But that was ok. Hair dry? No check. Oh well, let her wonder.

Maka opened the door, and Soul made sure his eyes were averted away from those collarbones staring back at him. And abs. Maka had abs? How had he not noticed this before?

“I’m guessing the ocean will need to be our shower,” she chuckled, setting out her toothbrush next to his. 

“Oh yeah. Parents have money, but a shower was a bit much,” he said, ruffling his hair and attempting to flatten it down. Headband it is.

“Is that my headband?” she asked, her brows furrowing.

“Uhh, no?” Soul was ultimately confused. “I’ve had this for ages.”

Maka dug around in her toiletries bag and pulled out an identical hair piece. “Never would have thought you a hairband guy.” The smile crept across her face. “It actually looks kinda cute.”

Soul ripped it off and let his hair stick up every which way. “Dawdle and I leave you behind.” There was no bite behind the threat, and he knew there wasn’t.  _ Don’t scare her away _ .

“Oh, I’ll beat you out there!” she taunted.  _ Game on _ .

Soul jogged up the steps and starting gathering his things. Then he had to check the boat to make sure nothing had happened overnight. Nothing should have happened, but he checked anyway.

“Ready to go?” Maka asked from behind him, and Soul did  _ not _ jump 3 feet in the air. 

“Don’t do that!” he whispered, but he knew she heard it when she stuck her tongue out at him. Childish. 

“I’m ready, are you?” she asked, and Soul realized she was ready. Flippers and goggles in place.  _ Game lost. _

“Let me just put flippers on. Can you get my camera out of the box?  _ Carefully _ .” Soul cringed when she whipped open the case and started examining the parts.

“Are you pictures still on here?” she asked, starting to push buttons.

_ Shit! _ “Uh, no, I think I took the memory card out last night. A new one should be in there.” A new one was definitely not in there, and the old one was  _ definitely _ still in there.

“Oh, you got some good shots yesterday!” she said, flipping through.

_ No no no no no no no _ . Soul rushed over with one flipper on and took the camera from her hands. “Let me put in the clean card.” He tried to cover himself, but he could see Maka’s calculating suspicion all over her face.

“What’s on there that you don’t want me to see?” she asked, standing up and handing him the wrist strap.

“Nothing. Just don’t like people seeing them before they’re edited,” he mumbled, clipping on the strap and then putting his other flipper on. 

He knew she suspected something was up, but he tried to ignore it and sat on the edge of the boat. “Ready? I think after today we need to head back and recharge the boat.”  _ And sleep in a real bed! _

“Okay,” Maka said, setting her mask in place. “I can develop some of these pictures too. And get a real shower!”

Soul flipped back into the water before he could imagine Maka in a shower. The colder water killed any boner that could even think of surfacing. Maka wasn’t too far behind him, and she was quickly resuming the setup of her instrument to collect data. Soul snapped some shots of the setup in case anything happened to it and it needed fixed. 

Maka went up for air and Soul followed close behind. “So what does that thing do? It’s kinda smaller than I thought it would be.”

Maka took off her mask and ran her fingers through her pigtails. “It mostly collects temperature information, but I have it set to collect on the current velocities as well. I’m thinking I want to compare heat travel and organism travel at the same time. Better to collect more and sort through it later than not enough.”

Soul nodded and floated on his back. A smirk snuck onto his face, and Maka had just enough time to furrow her brow in confusion before Soul used a flipper to splash her face.

A quick intake of breath is the only moment Maka took before it was  _ war _ . Water was flying everywhere and Soul could barely breathe from laughter. They eventually calmed down, trying to catch their breath but also watch for an end to the ceasefire. 

A beeping cut through the sound of their breathing, and Maka looked down at the sensor in her hand. Had she been holding it the entire time?

“One of my sensors is off the charts! Let me go see it,” she said, putting her mask back on and diving. 

Soul quickly followed, and realized he was becoming the puppy that follows its owner everywhere. All he wants to do is follow her, be close and feel that radiant smile.

He quickly kicked until he had caught up to her, and saw her sensor’s lights blinking rapidly. She pushed a few buttons on the handheld receiver and pointed up. He followed her back up and she had already started talking before his ears had cleared the water.

“What?” he asked, tearing the mask off and attempted to shake the water from his ears. “I didn’t hear any of that.”

“There is a  _ massive _ heat source down there! And there shouldn’t be because we’re nowhere near a volcano or heat vent and-”

“What does that mean?” Soul interrupted her, eyeing Tsubaki and Black Star climbing back into the boat. 

“It means there;s something huge here! I knew this number of coral reefs didn’t make sense but now it does! Oh this changes everything!”

“Your sensors are good where they are, right?” He continued after a nod from Maka. She was practically  _ vibrating _ . “Let’s go back to shore, let her stuff work it’s magic. I want a shower and a real, hot meal that I don’t have to make. Then you can access the internet and check stuff, right?”

“Yes! That would be wonderful! My house is near the shore so we can stay there if you don’t want to get a hotel.” Her offer was generous, and not one he was about to pass up.

“Sure, that sounds good,” he said, still trying to  _ not _ imagine her lounging about in ill-fitting sweats. Wait, he’s imagining her in  _ his _ sweats. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. 

“Alright, let’s head back!” Maka grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the boat. He couldn’t stop the large grin from spreading across his face.


	4. Chapter 4

Soul was toweling off his hair with towels that smelled of  _ Maka _ . He had to make sure to keep moving or he would just stand there reveling in her bathroom. 

_ Pathetic _ . He tossed the towel into the hamper and got dressed. Opening the door and letting the steam out, he went searching in her small single-story house for the woman herself. She was easy enough to find, humming off key and washing some dishes. Her voice cut through the ambient sound of the TV playing in the living room, which was broadcasting news about Gorgon Energy, the up and rising energy company, trying to find new sources in new regions of the ocean.  

“Is that a song you made up?” he asked, resting a shoulder on the doorframe to the kitchen. 

Maka jumped, turning around and flinging soap everywhere. Was that a blush on her neck? Soul had to imagine Black Star shoveling food into his mouth to stop a matching blush from appearing.

“Oh, no, I heard it on the radio this morning. Hungry?” she asked. 

He wondered how she heard it on the radio when they had been together all morning with no radio. “Starving.” He plopped down at the round kitchen table and watched eggs and bacon slide onto his plate. He could only stare for a moment, because she made them  _ exactly _ like Wes made them when they were kids. Over medium with perfect liquid-drippy yolk. Two pieces of toast joined the ensemble and he was in heaven.

He knew Maka was staring as he broke into the yolk and scooped up the gooey goodness with his toast and bacon. All he could think of was Saturday mornings with Wes while their parents were out doing business stuff (whatever the hell that was) and they needed to fend for themselves. Eggs, bacon, and toast was the perfect start to a day without the parents.

“So, do you have a day job, or do you hang out on your boat all day?” Maka asked. He could detect the smirk behind her piece of toast, and could only answer with a matching grin.

“Nah, I wish. I’m a photographer, but most galleries don’t like my stuff, so I’m actually just a rich kid living off his trust fund.” 

Her eyes widened. “You have a trust fund? I thought those only existed in cheap teen novels.” She giggled lightly. “You don’t strike me as a trust fund kid.”

“Well, the trust fund was so I wouldn’t need to live at home. They don’t exactly like having me around when their business partners come for brunch.” Soul pushed around his egg whites, appetite gone.

“We don’t have to talk about your family if you don’t want to. I completely understand.” 

The sincere look on her face tore at his heart, and his mouth moved on its own accord. “It’s cool. I just didn’t turn out the way they wanted, and I guess they don’t want the constant reminder.” 

“That’s kinda why I left. I hated the constant visual of my father bringing another woman every night. Especially when I’m home.” Maka was staring down at her food, pushing around the last piece of toast.

“That really sucks.” There were no other words for it. Soul knew what being cast aside feels like, but Maka didn’t deserve that. How could her father not see it?

“Anyhoo, I want to get some food together then head back out tomorrow morning. Tsubaki and Black Star can’t come this time so we don’t have to pack an entire grocery store.” Maka stood and started to collect dishes, but Soul stopped her and brought them to the sink.

“I’ll wash, you dry. Wait, doesn’t your school have some rules you have to follow for insurance?” 

“Well, he came and gave me a refresher on diving… So we should be okay.”

A few days alone on a boat with Maka? That was a treat. And a recipe for disaster. He wasn’t sure he would survive. His hands went through the motions of washing plates until he felt a sharp  _ flick _ on the back of his leg. “Ouch! What the hell was-” He turned and saw Maka with a shit-eating grin better than his, and the coiled up towel was ready to strike. 

“You’re it!” she got him again, but he was prepared this time. He flicked water from his hands at her face and grabbed his own towel.

“You’ll regret that!” He twisted the towel with quick expertise and snapped it her direction, sending her squealing down the hallway.

“You weren’t supposed to be good at it!” she cried out, breathless with running and laughter. She had scooted down another hall and disappeared into a room.

“I told you I have a brother, and you don’t expect me to know all the tricks?” Soul slowed, walking with quiet footsteps as he passed the doors. Which door did she go in? He listened carefully, and eventually heard snickering from behind the bathroom door.  _ Shit! I left my boxers in there! _ Of course, they were the skull and crossbones pair. 

Figuring she was leaning against the door, he didn’t want to barge into the bathroom and hurt her. “Guess I’ll just have to check your bedroom,” he taunted, easing away from the door but ready to strike. 

“No you won’t” Maka came bursting out, but was  _ so damn fast _ that she ran right into Soul and they both ended up on the floor.

Soul’s wide eyes stared up at Maka, her hair a beautiful curtain around her face, which was slightly red from adrenaline. Her chest was heaving, but slowly calming as they laid there, Maka across his chest and their legs tangled. The towels were forgotten next to them as Soul memorized the freckles on her face and the greens in her irises.  _ I would love to photograph her _ .

“S-Sorry,” Maka moved her hair behind her ear and started to climb off of him.

Soul didn’t even think. He sat up, placing on hand lightly on her waist to hold her there. She was practically in his lap, frozen again. She didn’t pull away, and he caught her eyes dart down to his lips. Before his head could scream at him to stop, he gently kissed her lips--just a light brush. When she didn’t pull away, he lingered a moment, making sure she was okay with it.

Then the unthinkable. Stars burst behind his eyes as she kissed him back, and her arms ended up around his shoulders. His other hand raised up to her back, holding her close and soaking in her warmth. She tasted of cinnamon and  _ Maka _ . He knew he would never forget it, even if this was their only kiss.

As she pulled away, he hoped it wouldn’t be their only kiss. Her pupils were dilated and the blush had returned. That glow continued to warm Soul as the hand on her back dropped slightly, giving her the room to move away if she wanted to. She didn’t. She stayed right in his hands, her arms still gripping him like he would be sucked away if she let go. 

They had only known each other for a few days. It scared Soul that these feelings grew so quickly, but he wasn’t scared away. Before he could say something stupid, Maka smiled lightly.

“So, uh,” she let out a breath, and their collective heartbeats started to slow. “That was…” Soul’s heart sank for a moment. “Amazing.” And he lifted right back up. 

He was speechless. Here was this wonderful, amazing, brilliant woman who only wanted a boat, but she was in his arms  _ and had just kissed him _ .

Maka giggled, then gently climbed off his lap. Soul stood before the spot she occupied felt too empty and cold. She just exuded a warmth… a security that only she could give. She laced her fingers through his, and all was right with the world.

“So… when do you want to head out?” he asked, following her lead as she brought them back to kitchen. “I just need to pack my swim and the washed clothes.” To think he had considered her biggest favor was to let him use her laundry. Much better than heading to the laundromat. 

“I just need to pack, too. First thing I want to do is check on the sensor, then move it to another reef to do a replicate.” A little furrow appeared between her brows. All he wanted to do was smooth it over with his thumb. Or with a kiss. He shook the cheesy romance from his head as she continued. “It would have been better to run the replicates at the same time, but the school wouldn’t let my lab buy another set of equipment.”

“Well that sucks. Will that affect your chances at graduation?” he asked, helping her finish cleaning up breakfast.

“Hopefully not. But I would really like to publish the data, and some journals might not accept it.” She tossed the used weapon-towels into the corner, where Soul noticed a pile of sweatshirts already accumulating. 

“Do you need a laundry basket?” he asked, tearing his eyes away from the pile before he caught sight of her  _ unmentionables _ . He wasn’t sure his currently-immature emotions could handle that right now.

“Of course I don’t!” she snapped at him, but there was no bite behind it. “I do perfectly well with my piles.” Her pride just goaded him on further.

“I mean, I have a couple extras if you need one,” he offered, shrugged his shoulders and shooting a sly grin at her.

“Who has ‘extra’ laundry baskets just lying around?” she asked, sarcasm dripping from her voice.

“A young graduate who hates doing laundry.” he admitted, putting away dry dishes. “Once they’re all full is when I think about starting to tackle it. I could give one up so your laundry doesn’t have to lie on the floor and collect spiders.”

“My laundry does not collect  _ spiders! _ ” He could still see the shiver that traveled up her spine. He wondered if he could cause another shiver without the help of arachnids. He pushed the thought out of his head before the idea reached other areas of his body. 

“Maybe I could use one,” she conceded.

“Let’s get going,” he said, heading back to the bedrooms to finish packing his bag. It was so natural, sharing a space with her, even if it had just been about a week. Not even. And he was excited to have her on the boat with no one else.

Maka gave him that determined grin that only she could master. “Yes!” she agreed, easily slipping past him in the small hallway to her own room. The brush of her clothes against his sent electrical shocks through his nerves, and not the static kind.

Soul met her by the front door, and soon they were zipping away from shore. The spray of the ocean framed the boat, but didn’t hit either of them, thank gosh. It might be warm out, but Soul wanted to give it some time before he had contact with water.

Maka was lounging across a couple of the seats behind him, her feet propped up on more seats and a textbook in her lap.

“Do you ever stop studying? I thought there weren’t any tests in grad school.” Soul shot a look back at her, only to receive the most unamused stare ever to come from her.

“When the board of professors and advisors hear my thesis defense, they can ask any manner of questions remotely related to my topic. So yes, I study. I would hate for one wrong answer to ruin my chances of my degree.” Maka shut the textbook anyway and moved up to the seat next to him. The wind played with her hair gently since she was behind the front window. He then realized that her hair was actually loose, not in twin pigtails. It was beautiful. Like gold glinting in the sunlight.

Soul tore his gaze away to make sure they were still on the right course. He could see his buoy in the distance, and started to slow the boat. Once the anchor was dropped, he noticed another sleek blue boat coming towards them. “Let’s see if they pass before we start diving.” 

“Ok, I’ll go get changed in the meantime.” Maka put her book away and headed down to the cabin.

Soul couldn’t make out the seal on the side of the boat, but it was big, and it was expensive. A company boat. Or government. Couldn’t tell which. When it passed by without slowing, he turned the engine off and headed down to the cabin to grab his camera.

“They passed right on by,” Soul said, purposefully not looking in her direction even though she was dressed. All he saw was red fabric and her tan skin. “But they’ll probably come back this way. We’ll have to watch how close they get since they were moving so fast.”

“Ok. We shouldn’t be out long anyway. I’m just getting the data, packing up, and moving on to the next reef.” She was tying her hair up in a single ponytail with her equipment scattered around her on the floor.

Soul looked at her crossed legs on the floor, her delicate feet folded neatly beneath her. How could such small-- _ but long _ \--legs be so fast and so powerful. Her strokes through the water were always quick and precise, as if she was born there. “How far is the next reef?” he asked. 

“Not far if my map is accurate. Maybe 20 or 30 minutes.” Maka stood and collected her things. Soul bent down and grabbed the last piece of equipment before heading back up to the deck.

When they got up top, the large boat was anchored next to them, and the captain was waiting by the side for them. He was large with a head of dark hair and powerful muscles. Obviously someone used to hard work on the oceans. Curiously, he had a tattoo of the word “FREE” tattooed over his eye.

“This can’t be good,” Soul murmured, not even bothering to ask Maka to stand back. He knew she wouldn’t listen anyway. “Can I help you?” he called out.

“We’re gonna have to ask you to vacate. We’re going to start surveying the area,” the captain called back.

Soul recognized the company logo on the boat now that it was closer.  _ Gorgon Energy _ was known for delving into fracking and other controversial sourcing methods. “Surveying? This is public water, and a protected reef area,” he said, wondering what strings they pulled to get access.

“Not anymore. It’s our new energy source. Thanks to your wifi-connected equipment, we’ve identified this place as a new natural gas reservoir.” The smirk on the captain’s face screamed that he knew he had won and a few graduates couldn’t stop them.

“You can’t stop my project!” Maka shouted before Soul could stop her. “And no one can claim protected waters! You’ll destroy the reef!” Soul  _ did _ stop her from throwing a wrench he had forgotten to put away.

“Vacate within 24 hours or we will do it for you,” the captain turned away, walking up the stairs to the helm. The boat was gone in just a few moments.

“They can’t do that!” Maka threw her hands in the air and started back down to the cabin.

“Well, it seems like they can.” Soul didn’t know what to do. Her entire future relied on this data, and just one sampling obviously wasn’t going to cut it. “Let’s just get your equipment and get out of the way before they torpedo my boat.  _ Then _ we can figure out how to handle this.”

“I’m going to sock him in the face! That’s how I’ll handle it!” It was unsurprising to Soul that this was her reaction and plan.

Maka threw his flippers at him and stalked back up to the top. “Let’s just get my equipment. My data is on there and I can’t lose that.”

Soul let out a sigh of relief. Let her get her equipment, get her back on the boat, and back to safety. As much as he cared about her research, he cared about  _ her _ more.


	5. Chapter 5

“I can’t believe they did that!” Maka rested on the back edge of the boat, her feet kicking the water gently. Soul had anchored her at the next reef, mostly to allow Maka to cool off a bit and give her a new mission: go through the data she had to make a new plan. 

“How did your data turn out?” Soul asked, crouching down to sit next to her and put his own feet in the water. The boat was off and rocking gently on the calm water. He wanted to distract her and cheer her up. Though, he wasn’t sure anything could cheer her up after hearing the reef was going to be destroyed by Gorgon.

Maka let out a sigh and pulled her tablet in front of her. Soul winced at first, seeing beautiful electronics so near the water, but the sight of a thin, waterproof casing let him relax. “It’s confusing. There are spikes in the heat levels, but they don’t follow any pattern I ever learned about in my classes. It’s almost as if the source was right there.”

“Doesn’t that make sense? If Gorgon is interested in the area?” Soul asked, then immediately regretted it. But it was too late, he had already reminded her of what he wanted her to forget.

“It does make sense, but there are no faults there, or fissures, or anything that would allow the release of energy!” Maka tossed her tablet on the seat behind them. “How could the heat be getting there without major currents or fissures?”

“Didn’t you have something to measure the current?” Soul had a  _ really _ bad feeling about this.

Maka’s face went  _ red red red _ with anger. “How could I forget my current sensor!” It wasn’t so much a question as a near-violent outburst. “It’s still buried where my heat sensor was!”

“You forgot it?” Soul could feel the blood leave his head. Even if he’d only known her a week or so, he  _ knew _ she would go back to get it one way or another.

“We have to go get it!” Maka kicked the water with much more force than necessary, splashing Soul’s sunglasses. So not cool.

“Maka, do you realize how quickly they kicked us out? I don’t think we’ll be welcome back,” Soul tried to get her to see reason as she stood up and moved back into the boat.

“Soul! If we get it and find where the  _ actual _ source of the energy is coming from, maybe they’ll leave the reef alone!”

“And maybe they’ll  _ sink _ my boat and leave us stranded!” Soul followed her, nearly slipping from the water. “How would you even get it?”

“We’d have to go at night when they’re not ‘surveying,’” she said, rummaging through her bag for who knows what. “All I have to do is dive down, dig it up, and we can leave!” 

“I can’t exactly anchor next to the guard boats they’re bound to have.”

“You don’t have to. I’m a good enough swimmer. I’ll just dive in with actual diving gear and go get it. I’ll never need surface.” Maka’s determined stance and that  _ stare _ would be the death of him.

“I can’t let you go in alone. I won’t be able to see you and you won’t be able to signal if you’re in trouble,” he said, running his hands through his hair. He was sure it was more spiky than normal now.

“I only have one set of scuba gear,” Maka deadpanned.

“I have a set in the cabin below.” Soul sat on a bench and rubbed his face in his hands. How could he let her do this? What if they had security patrolling? What if they had guns? The image running through his head of her lying in the water, blood mixing around her was too much to bear.

“Not tonight,” he said, continuing to look down at the floor. “We need to find a good spot to anchor where we can leave quickly.”

“Sounds like a plan. I know exactly where it is. It won’t take long to get it.”

_ That’s if they haven’t starting digging yet. _ Soul couldn’t bring himself to bring it up.

He watched Maka go below deck, giving her a short salute when she turned back to smile at him before disappearing into the cabin. He made quick work of making sure everything on the boat was secure, and even made a quick scan of the sea around them. They didn’t need any surprise visits during the night.

He went below deck, and couldn’t help his smile at the sight of Maka passed out in the bed. His bed. Her bed apparently. Her yoga pants hugged her hips as she lay on her side, and her arms hugged the pillow to her. 

Soul shucked his shirt and just stood by the bed, debating with himself. Would she be comfortable with him climbing into bed with her? The temptation of cuddling her all night, just bathing in her wonderful scent was too much to resist.  Also, blowing up the air mattress while she was sleeping was just rude, right? And she wouldn’t want him to sleep on the floor. 

Knowing he was doomed either way, he gently climbed under the covers and claimed a pillow. The sheets had her smell infused in them along with the light floral of her laundry detergent. It reminded him of her small house. It felt like home.

 

********************************

 

Soul was having the most wonderful dream! Maka was snuggled up to him in bed and his nose was buried in her hair at the nape of her neck. Her scent permeated his entire being, and she fit perfectly in his arms. She wiggled, and his morning wood pressed up against her backside.

Only it wasn’t a dream. If it was a dream, Maka would have turned to kiss him. Alas, he was awake and so was she, and the spine of a book met his skull none-too-gently.

“Dammit!” he bolted upright in bed and rubbed the sore spot on his forehead. “What was that for?”

“For-” Maka didn’t finish, her face the color of beets and the sheets bunched up in her legs as she looked away. “It tickled.” It came out as a whisper, and she hid her face in her hands.

Tickled? Tickled, he could work with. Tickled wasn’t angry, just embarrassed. “Like this?” he asked, reaching over before she could pull away and running his fingers up and down her sides. 

“Soul, stop!” Maka screeched, falling over and curling up to try and protect her sides. Soul was on her like a predator on prey, easily pinning her to the bed by her shoulders and sitting on her hips so she couldn’t kick him.

Her laughter subsided, tears leaking from the corners of her eyes. Soul gazed into the green of her eyes, and he couldn’t help but think of the deep greens of forests. Her eyes were like looking on the rainforest. 

Soul dropped his weight to his elbows so his arms framed her face. His nose was inches from hers, and she could track the flush traveling up from her neck to her face. His lips dropped to hers gently, testing again. That kiss in her house still haunted his sleeping and waking dreams. He couldn’t resist her pull again.

She met his kiss, and Soul’s heart melted. Her hands fisted in his shirt to keep him close. To Soul, this was heaven: his fingers gently pushing through her hair, her lips fitting perfectly against his own, and her acceptance of him. All of him. To Soul, that thought alone was enough to make him happy for the rest of his life. 

He gently pulled away and gave her a small smile. Helping her to sit up, he could see in her eyes that it was time to start planning their midnight escapade.


	6. Chapter 6

They waited until about 3 am for this little escapade. Maka was up, bright-eyed, and dressed. She even had those damn goggles around her neck. Soul, on the other hand, was just barely awake and  _ really _ wishing they had gone back to the coast guard instead of trying on their own. But there was no telling Maka “no” when it came to her research.

“I’m gonna bring the boat around from the west. I think they’ll be watching from closer to shore but there’s no guarantee,” Soul rubbed his face with one hand as he started the boat. “You sure you know  _ exactly _ , where this sensor is?”

“Yes, if you anchor exactly as you did before, or even closer, I can get to it in 5 minutes,” she was pulling on her flippers, even though he was sure they had a good 45 minutes until they got to the anchor point. 

“I want to get close because I don’t want you seen. If you can do the whole thing underwater, that would be best,” Soul said, pulling up the anchor and giving it to Maka to stow. Then he turned on the lights, for now, and pulled away from their spot. He did a quick u-turn, checked the compass, and tore off towards the reef for a simple piece of metal.

He could watch Maka from the corner of his eye, checking her tablet to make sure the sensor was still working. 

“I’m still picking up signal from it. It’s been collecting data this whole time. I think the Gorgon’s energy source it’s there. It’s passing through, but not originating there.” Maka tapped a few times on the screen and shut it off. Her fingers drummed on the blank tablet, and Soul realized just how nervous she was. Under all that bravado… was she as scared as he was?

There was no moon to guide their way, but the Gorgon’s ship came into view on the horizon. A spotlight was sweeping across the water, and Soul stopped the boat. 

“I can’t get closer. Not with them looking for us.” Soul shut the engine off and went back to her. “Lower the anchor here. We’ll figure out a way in.”

“I thought you were staying with the boat?” Maka asked, quickly slipping her tablet into a bag. 

_ Like hell I am _ , he thought, but said instead, “Not from this far away. I wouldn’t want anyone out there alone.”

“How are we supposed to get away quickly? Eventually they’re going to notice I’m out there,” Maka followed him to the front of the boat as he dug his scuba gear out.

“I’m bringing this. That way we can stay under water the whole time. With any luck, they won’t see us.” Soul didn’t bother with the wetsuit. He just slipped on the harness and tested the oxygen tank. “Let’s go.”

Maka sighed but went to the edge of the boat, slipping her mask into place. She sat on the edge and flipped over without any warning. Soul quickly followed her, putting the oxygen regulator to his mouth as he went in. 

Maka was swiftly swimming ahead just under the surface, her face never looking back. Soul could just imagine her eyes pointing forward, intent on the reef that was just coming into view. Even at night, the water was as clear as glass.

Soul caught up to her and offered her the regulator. She took a gulp of air, thank goodness, and then passed it back to him. The reef was still far, and he could now see the anchor of the Gorgon’s boat standing guard. He hadn’t realized the boat was anchored on this side of the reef. He should have circled around. 

Too late now, because Maka had picked up the pace. They traded the regulator back and forth, getting closer and closer to the reef. They passed under the boat, trying to avoid the gaze of the guard patrolling.

Soon enough, they were at the reef. No trouble yet. Maka took one long breath from the regulator then quickly swam down to the floor. A metal rod was sticking straight up, slightly hidden by some bright red coral. The colors reflected against Maka’s skin, dancing across her legs and stomach like pieces of ribbon. He was desperate for his camera.

Something fast and small shot past him from above. He whirled around and saw the guard pointing a gun at them.  _ A gun _ . He tapped Maka’s leg and swam down to give her air. She needed to either get this stupid piece of equipment or he was dragging her out of there. Another bullet shot past and he pulled her away just as she dislodged the equipment. It was small, thank gosh, but he couldn’t believe that little hunk of square-ish metal was the cause of all of this.

Maka shoved the regulator at him and they swam back toward the boat. Being under the boat meant no more bullets! Eventually, they would have to swim back to their own boat. More bullets flew past as they passed under the boat. Soul wasn’t sure who was pulling who anymore. They shot through the water, but Maka eventually broke the surface. 

Soul tore his mask off and surfaced with her. “Maka! We have to go!” He felt the pain in his arm before he heard the gunshot. He barely even heard Maka’s scream. Her hands clamped around his other arm and she dragged him to the boat.

He doesn’t remember climbing out of the water. Everything was in a daze as Maka pulled out the first aid kit and placed a bandage on his arm. It covered the gash well and the ointment she had put on helped numb the sting.

“What the hell was that?” he asked, leaning back in the chair she had plopped him in. 

“You got grazed. I’m so sorry,” Maka’s eyes were downcast as she gently taped the gauze. “If I wasn’t so damn stubborn, you wouldn’t have been out there and--”

“Hey, hey,” Soul said gently, sitting up. He placed his hands on either side of her face. A tear hit his thumb and he gently wiped it away. “You’re safe. We’re back, and that’s all that matters.” He leaned in, kissing away another tear. When she finally met his eyes, he leaned in and gave her a kiss.

 

***********************************

 

“Soul, look!”

Soul rolled over away from the voice, burrowing into the pillows on the couch. He had very gladly fallen asleep on Maka’s couch when she went to make hot chocolate last night, and now sunlight was streaming in through the windows. No wonder his neck hurt.

“Soul! Get up you’ve been sleeping for almost 10 hours!” Maka’s voice cut through the pillows. 

“That’s 2 hours too soon,” he mumbled, but showed his face. He would listen, but he was not getting up from his  _ very _ comfortable position.

Maka took it as a compromise, apparently, and shoved her phone in his face. “My paper was accepted!” 

“Wait, what?” That got him up. Sitting up, he ruffled his hair away from his eyes. The email on her phone wasn’t clear, since it took way too long to say the word “accepted.” 

“My paper! With the data we got all those months ago! It’s gonna publish in next month’s issue!” Maka plopped on the couch next to him and was basically  _ vibrating _ with glee.

“Maka, that’s awesome!” Soul wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her close. “Any way you want to celebrate?”

“Getting my degree would be nice.”

“Ok, smartass, I can’t do that. Would you like to go ice skating?” Soul inwardly shivered. Him on skates was a comedy, but she was absolutely beautiful. 

“Really?” Maka pulled away slightly to look at him. “Are you sure?”

He could already see the joy in her eyes. “Yes, I’m sure.” He leaned in for her and gently brushed his lips against hers. “Congratulations, Maka.”

He felt her smile as she pressed into the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck. His arms dropped to her waist, and he was reconsidering the whole skating thing.

“Uh, uh, you are not distracting me!” Maka pulled out of his arms and reached for her coat. “We are going skating!”

Soul just shook his head. Anything for this awesome, smart, non-perfect woman he called a girlfriend. They may not go out on the boat as often as they would like, but spending nearly every waking moment together was a good compromise. Knowing that they were both alive, that Maka’s research had been saved, he would do it all over again for her. And his camera would be full of photographs of reflected colors dancing across her skin.


End file.
